Cannes Lions are demonstrating the power of creativity to drive growth for business, people and society at large.
The festival announced the winners of the Creative Data, Media, Direct, PR and Social & Creator Lions at the third Awards Show.
“Thanks, once again, to our exceptional Juries for setting the global creative benchmark for the industry,” said LIONS CEO Simon Cook.
From 391 entries received in the Creative Data Lions, 13 Lions were awarded by the Jury: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘SOS POS’, for BCP, by Circus Grey, Lima.
“Our Grand Prix work stood apart for the beautiful simplicity of its idea and the imaginative use of data, data used to protect data,” said Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO and creative data lions jury president, Anupriya Acharya.
“It turned an everyday payment terminal into a lifeline at a moment of real vulnerability.
“It solved a human problem, strengthened trust in a difficult-to-differentiate banking category, and showed how Creative Data can drive business impact while scaling protection for people and society in a way that can transcend boundaries.”
The Media Lions received 1432 entries and 45 Lions were awarded: 7 Gold, 16 Silver, 21 Bronze. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Build Your Own Super Bowl’, for Uber Eats, by Special, Los Angeles.
"This is modern marketing at its most transformative,” said WPP Media APMEA chief client officer and media lions jury president, Sindhuja Rai.
“Rather than using communications to drive consumers to the product, it turned the product itself into the communications platform, seamlessly uniting creativity, media, technology, talent, commerce, and personalisation into a single connected experience, effectively collapsing the traditional funnel.
“The result was a campaign that didn’t just capture attention; it converted participation and engagement directly into business growth."
From 1325 entries in the Direct Lions, 42 Lions were awarded: 7 Gold, 13 Silver, 21 Bronze. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Uva Uva Bombón,’ for UVA App, by de la Cruz Ogilvy, San Juan.
“In an industry obsessed with control, this work proved that courage is still our most valuable currency,” said GUT Argentina chief creative officer and direct lions jury president, Joaquin Cubría.
“A challenger brand chose the most expensive advertising day of the year not to outspend the competition, but to outsmart it. A bold, simple idea that turned uncertainty into disproportionate impact.”
The PR Lions received 1156 entries, and 37 Lions were awarded: 7 Gold, 12 Silver, 17 Bronze. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘The KitKat Heist’, for KitKat, by Burson, London.
“Crisis communications has long been the discipline of caution, protecting reputation, minimizing damage, staying safe. But this year's work rewrote those rules entirely,” said HAVAS Red, Middle East and Egypt CEO and PR lions jury president, Dana Tahir.
“KitKat didn't just manage a crisis, they transformed it into a cultural moment, proving that creative bravery and crisis counsel can coexist. This work didn’t eliminate risk, it choreographed it. Every pun, every quote was calibrated to keep the brand on the right side of the line.
"And in doing so, it set a new standard for what’s possible when brands trust their instincts and lean into the unexpected.
“We hope this work serves as a reminder that the greatest opportunities often hide inside the biggest challenges, and that crisis, handled with creativity and courage, can become a brand's finest moment.”
In the Social & Creator Lions, 1413 entries were received and 44 Lions awarded: 8 Gold, 14 Silver, 21 Bronze. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Could Have Been a Heineken', for Heineken, by LePub, Milan.
“Voice notes make connection easier, faster. But for a new social behaviour, do they really make us more social? Heineken makes a beautifully crafted argument that a long voice note is best delivered in person,” said LePub global chief creative officer and social and creator lions jury president, Mihnea Gheorghiu.
“Whether you love voice notes or hate them, you can’t really argue with that.
“The Jury decided to award the Grand Prix for its social-first simplicity and iconicity, and for converting a new social behaviour into the oldest social behaviour.”
Special Awards:
Media Network of the Year:
- Carat
- OMD Worldwide
- PHD Worldwide
PR Agency of the Year Award:
- Burson, London, United Kingdom
- Golin Ketchum, London, United Kingdom
- Ninch Company, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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